Gallic village on the Riviera

The fact that the typically high sailing density off Saint-Tropez at the beginning of October was able to materialise was mainly due to a new concept. The organisers had already imposed this on themselves before the outbreak of the pandemic. Regardless of hygiene rules, the aim was to ease the crowds in the picturesque Old Harbour. In the first week, 130 yachts between ten and 24 metres were allowed to start. Then, over four days, it was the turn of the "Super Series", consisting of large schooners, maxi racers and fast cruisers owned by regatta enthusiasts.

The "Voiles" have always been an event that brings together classic and modern sailing yachts. Originating from a fun race between a French 12-mR yacht and the Swan 44 of an American in 1981, the unusual sailing competition grew into an event called "La Nioulargue", named after the shallow La Nioulargo. Just two years later, J-Class yachts and maxis joined in. After a break of several years following a tragic collision, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez has continued the traditional regatta as Les Voiles des Saint-Tropez since 1999. The packed crowds and celebrations against the picturesque backdrop of the Riveira are legendary. This year, people kept to themselves. There were no evening events, the event area shrank from 1500 to 400 square metres and the wearing of a face mask as well as disinfection and temperature measurement at the entrance were obligatory.

On the water, there were the usual images, especially in the first week: Precious boats such as the gaff cutters of William Fife or Nathanael Herreshoff met newer metre yachts and IRC racers. Pierre Roinson, President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez (SNST), started in the IRC-D group. His summary after the opening week: "Organising the 22nd edition was a huge challenge and a gamble. My thanks go to all the helpers, partners and sailors. For many it was the first and last regatta of the year! I could see crews chatting from jetty to jetty directly after the races. That had been somewhat lost in recent years."

The start of the Super Series brought westerly winds of over 20 knots for the 20 starters. In the classic division, there was a duel between the schooners "Elena of London" and "Puritan". Among the modern cracks, the 30-metre record-breaking maxi "Leopard 3" stood out in the IRC-1 class and Mani Frers' 60-foot construction "Spectre". The fast daysailer had British sailing pro Nick Rogers on board and competed in the most hotly contested group, IRC 2. After two subsequent light wind days, "Ryokan 2", a Wally 80, confidently prevailed against seven competitors. In the generally thinned-out field, the Wallys did not form a separate class for the first time. Last year, their group shrank to four participants; in 2016, a record 16 Wally formats were registered.

SNST Chairman Pierre Roinson expressed his satisfaction: "We are very pleased that we were able to organise these voiles together with the great support of the city. By remaining vigilant and careful, we have avoided any problems. We will continue to separate the large boats from the rest of the fleet for safety reasons and because we want to continue to launch outside the harbour."

Here you can find the overall results of the Super Series.